June 23 2009
Grey Hautaluoma/Ashley Edwards
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0668/1756
grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov
ashley.edwards-1@nasa.gov
Nancy Neal Jones
Goddard Space Flight Center, Md.
301-286-0039
nancy.n.jones@nasa.gov
RELEASE: 09-144
NASA LUNAR MISSION SUCCESSFULLY ENTERS MOON ORBIT
GREENBELT, Md. -- After a four and a half day journey from the Earth,
the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has successfully entered
orbit around the moon. Engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight
Center in Greenbelt, Md., confirmed the spacecraft's lunar orbit
insertion at 6:27 a.m. EDT Tuesday.
During transit to the moon, engineers performed a mid-course
correction to get the spacecraft in the proper position to reach its
lunar destination. Since the moon is always moving, the spacecraft
shot for a target point ahead of the moon. When close to the moon,
LRO used its rocket motor to slow down until the gravity of the moon
caught the spacecraft in lunar orbit.
"Lunar orbit insertion is a crucial milestone for the mission," said
Cathy Peddie, LRO deputy project manager at Goddard. "The LRO mission
cannot begin until the moon captures us. Once we enter the moon's
orbit, we can begin to buildup the dataset needed to understand in
greater detail the lunar topography, features and resources. We are
so proud to be a part of this exciting mission and NASA's planned
return to the moon."
A series of four engine burns over the next four days will put the
satellite into its commissioning phase orbit. During the
commissioning phase each of its seven instruments is checked out and
brought online. The commissioning phase will end approximately 60
days after launch, when LRO will use its engines to transition to its
primary mission orbit.
For its primary mission, LRO will orbit above the moon at about 31
miles, or 50 kilometers, for one year. The spacecraft's instruments
will help scientists compile high resolution, three-dimensional maps
of the lunar surface and also survey it at many spectral wavelengths.
The satellite will explore the moon's deepest craters, examining
permanently sunlit and shadowed regions, and provide understanding of
the effects of lunar radiation on humans. LRO will return more data
about the moon than any previous mission.
For more information about the LRO mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/lro
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